Oxnard boxing card has hard-hitting action

Garza earns KO of Garcia in 2nd round

Fighting in another boxer’s hometown could be very daunting to a young fighter. Not to lightweight Adrian Rodriguez Garza, who was calm and collected and very eager to prove he would be the better man on Saturday night.

Garza stopped Oxnard’s Irvin Garcia in the second round before an near-sellout crowd at the Performing Arts Center in Oxnard.

The fight matched two hard-hitting punchers, but Garcia was the slight favorite since he had won his previous seven fights.

After an even first round, Garza went on the offensive in the second. His aggression paid off as he hurt Garcia with a right hand to the head. Moments later, a barrage of punches dropped Garcia face-first to the canvas.

Garcia got up on wobbly legs and tried to fight back, but Garza landed two more brutal punches to the head that promoted referee Jack Reiss to step in and stop the bout at 1:29.

Garcia was the house fighter and had the crowd support behind him. That did not faze Garza, who was fighting for the first time in the United States.

“He hits hard and I did feel his power,” said Garza after the fight. “I was able to come out and land straight right hands to the head. I know he’s the local fighter, but the crowd support actually gave me more energy.”

There was an almost hour-long delay after the fight ended as paramedics on hand transported Garcia to the local hospital as a precaution. California State Athletic Commission rules state paramedics must present during a fight card. A another set of paramedics had to be called to replace the original ones.

Garza, from Tlalnepantla, Mexico, improves to 8-2, with 6 KOs, while Garcia falls to 10-2, with 6 KOs.

Despite the Garcia loss, fighters from Ventura County had an impressive showing on the Top Players Promotions card.

In other bouts:

Super featherweight Daniel Franco, who trains in Oxnard, improved to 7-0-2, with 4 KOs, by stopping Victor Serrano in the third round. A left hook to the head hurt Serrano (3-4, KO), prompting Franco to follow up and land a barrage of punches until referee Dr. Lou Moret stepped in and stopped the bout at 2:10.

Bantamweight Indian Banuelos of Santa Paula won a four-round majority decision over Alan Garcia. Banuelos (2-1) repeatedly landed left hooks to the head of Garcia (0-1-1) throughout the fight. One judge scored the bout 38-38, while the other two judges had it at 39-37 and 40-36 for Banuelos.

In the opening bout, super welterweight Abraham Lopez (5-1, with 2 KOs) of Oxnard stopped Robert Hill in the third round. Lopez stunned Hill (1-5) and followed up with a barrage of punches until referee Dr. Lou Moret stepped in and stopped the bout at 1:57.

The main event bout between Oxnard’s Maureen Shea and Nohime Dennisson and the co-main event bout between Maxim Vlasov and Derrick Findley were delayed and began after deadline.